In terms of the academic reputation indicator, the UB is ranked 81^st in the world, with a score of 84.9 out of 100. Regarding participation in international research networks, it receives a score of 96.4 and is ranked 50^th in the world.

“These data place the UB as a leading international  institution in research”, notes the rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia. “They show the strength of the Catalan university system, which once again holds the leading positions in this ranking”, he adds. “Through research and innovation, we universities contribute to the development of strategic sectors such as health and medicine, information technology, and energy transition. Our role in training and research — he concludes — is key for the economic growth of Europe and in ensuring the European competitiveness globally”.

Each ranking indicator contributes a specific weight to the final score. Academic reputation has the highest weight (30%), followed by citations per paper (20%) and employer reputation (15%). This is followed by faculty-student ratio (10%), employment outcomes (5%), participation in international research networks (5%), international faculty ratio (5%), international student ratio (5%) and sustainability (5%).

Since the QS ranking introduced a new methodology 13 years ago, the UB has had an upward trend: it has climbed positions seven times, remained the same twice and fallen four times.

According to the QS World University Rankings, the best universities in the world are, in this order, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Imperial College London and the University of Stanford.